Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-26
FLUVANNA.
POLITICAL sPgAHIse At tbs COURT
Rousg YESTERDAY
splsndia Addresses from Colonel Richard
=. Beirne and Hon. John
4. Massey.

iCorrespondence Of tho Richmond DiSpa,chl
FLuvASNA G. H.. October q. 1897.
To-day the regular term OF our
County Court was spent by the large
crowd in attendance in listening to po-
htical speeches. On the Democratic
side excellent speeches were delivered
in the house by Colonel Richard L.
Reirne and the Hon. John +. Massey,
whilst Immediately in the rear of the
building, with only the thickness of o
brick wall between the two rostrums, a
boisterous throDg Of colored citizens
were addressed by Colonel W. Il. Craig
and Bon. T.. II. HUBBARD.
Colonel Beirne, who is a forcible
speaker as well as writer, after proving
conclusively that the Democratic party
had faithfully complied with all of ITS
pledges as TO the Riddleberger debt
measure, showed that some OF It's pre-
tended friends who were most blatant
in charges of Democratic faithleSsness
were themselves paying their taxes in
coupons, and were tacitly acqulescing
in the usurpation of Judge Bond, who
would overturn all legislation on the
subject. Having explained how Ma
hone had forced upon the people his
candidacy for the United States Sen
ate, he gave an amusing account Of
the causes which led Malone TO
declare himself a Republican in the
Garfield convention. Further tracing
the General in his political vagaries,
the speaker claimed that the adoption
Of the wholesale pension bill, for which
the Senator voted, would have rendered
impossible the abolition of the internal
revenue tax. The vote Of the two par
ties on this question was then given,
showing that the efforts of our repre-
sentatives in Congress to repeal that
tax had been opposed by the Repu6li-
cans. The Colonel closed his speech
with a scathing review of the doings of
Nabone's Legislature and the deplora-
bic management of the States finances
by his officers. The speaker was fire.
quently greeted with applause on his
many excellent hits.
The rising of the Hon. John T..
Massey elected hearty demonstrations
of welcome. In terse conversational
STYLE the ex-Auditor addressed himself
10 the issues of the canvass with the
precision and cleamess of statement
for which he is distinguished. He had
not come TO speak personally of the
candidates for the Legislature, but
would say something about the com
pany they kept The one set repre-
sented the party which held that our
rulers should be selected from among
the virtue and intelligence of
the land, whilst the other seemed
to assume that vice and ignorance
should take the reins of government.
Abiding to those white Republicans
who were advising the negroes to
stick to their race, he turned to-
wards the half dozen colored men pres
ent and asked: "What respect have you
for those whites who attend your secret
night conrlayes?" The prompt reply
fIom an old darkey, "None whatever,
sir, caused an uproar of laughter and
scored good hit.
In Lis retrospect Of the old Wing
and Democratic parties Mr.. Massey
said that the leaders Of both were good
men honestly striving for the same
grand result-the best interests Of tue
whole country. Having given Mr..
Cleveland's Administration his hearty
commendation he dwelt with telling
effect on the difference between the
Republican and Democratic parties as
to the reserved rights OF the states.
The tendency Of the Republican party
was ever towards the Capitalization Of
power. Inthis connection Judge Bond
was handled with gloves of.
The speaker now repeatedly brought
down the house in Icprcscnting the
Readjustor Republicans as having
fallen out with the Democrats because
they now agreed with them on the debt
settlement.
Stating the fact that four ffths Of
those using coupons III payment OF
taxes were Republicans ne passed to
give the reasons Why these men occupy
their present positions, and proceeded
to demonstrate TO nicely that Malone
was tue only TO himself snd had sought
by every conceivable means the per
petuation Of his power.
Mr.. Massey then went with decided
relish for Mahouc's friends. Foraker
and Sherman. and told how that 9Th
ol.July" ticket OF lSS ID was managed.
At this point our meeting was tempo
rarily interrupted 10y q great uproay
caused in the Eepublican camp 10y a
fisticufi.ng between a white man and a
negro So great now became the com
motion and din Of the Republicans
around their stand that it vas impossi-
bic for Your correspondent to catch
enough Of the concluding portion OF
Mr. Massey's speech to give even an
outline Of it. ZIp.